Every Dec. 31, library volunteers help your library start the new year in the tidiest, cleanest way possible by taking every book, magazine, DVD, CD and video off the shelves and checking them to see if they need repairs. The shelves are then cleaned and the materials fixed before they go back on the shelves in the proper place, in pristine condition, waiting for you to come to take them home to enjoy them.

Knowing that people work harder and happier when they are well fed, library staff cook a delicious breakfast and lunch for the volunteers while they go about their tasks. There’s also much laughter and visiting going on, as volunteers and staff enjoy each other’s company.

This annual housecleaning day is just one of many important services provided by our 55 volunteers, without whom we could not run the library. We average about 15-20 volunteers a month, who help us with crucial tasks to keep the library functioning well and our customer service top-notch.

There are two things you can do to help keep our books and other materials in good condition. First, don’t let your children peel off the bar codes that identify the materials for our computer system. We know kids love stickers, but without the bar code we can’t keep track of our collection. Secondly, don’t cut the jacket covers off the books. We are amazed at how often this happens. Those jacket covers are important because they are there to protect the books. You don’t need to worry that they carry germs, because we wipe each cover with a disinfectant every time any borrowed item is returned.

If you would like to help make sure our library remains an active and vital part of our community, please join our team. To volunteer, call the director, Jackie Welch, at 264-2208. You also can support the library by joining the Women’s Civic Club (contact Jennifer Hedrick at 731-5835) or Friends of the Library (contact Susan Kanyur at 731-2649).

Giving Tree gifts

Our deep gratitude for the generosity of so many people who sponsored an ornament on our Giving Tree, thereby donating a book to a child or teen this holiday season: Lynn and Nick Constan, Lili and Olivia Gilbert, Kay Grams, Ron and Cindy Gustafson, Kathy Hamilton, Jennifer Hedrick, Bob and Carole Howard, Mari Khoury, Rice Reavis, Lynne Stinchfield, Jack and Katy Threet, Jackie Welch, the members of the Women’s Civic Club, plus several anonymous benefactors. Between the library and our generous donors, we provided Operation Helping Hand with?390 books.

New novels

“Pirate Latitudes” is the latest action adventure from Michael Crichton, this one set in a remote English colony in the Caribbean in 1665. “New York” by Edward Rutherfurd is the latest historical fiction by this well-known author, celebrating New York from its founding to the present day. “The Sting of Justice” by Cora Harrison is a mystery set in Medieval Ireland in the 1500s. “Lover Avenged” by J.R. Ward is a novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. “Faces of the Gone” by Brad Parks is a murder mystery set in Newark, N.J. “Divine Misdemeanors” by Laurell K. Hamilton is a faerie fantasy/mystery set in Los Angeles.

Biographies

“A Simple Christmas” by Mike Huckabee, a pastor before getting into politics, offers 12 true stories of memories from his past Christmases. “Last Words” by George Carlin with Tony Hendra is the biography of one of America’s most famous comedians in the past 50 years.

Large print

“A Slice of Murder” is a Pizza Parlor mystery by Chris Cavender that includes a delicious pizza recipe. “The Scorpion Killers” by Ray Hogan is a western featuring a mystery American codenamed Amigo. “Longhorn Trail: A Western Duo” by Lauran Paine presents a story and a short novel by this popular western writer. “Lynelle By the Sea” by Laurie Lico Albanese focuses on the kidnapping of a baby. “The Girls” by Lori Lansens is the story of conjoined twins. “A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You” by Amy Bloom is a collection of short stories.

Mysteries on CD

Some of the country’s most popular bestselling authors now have their latest mysteries on CD: “The Professional” by Robert B. Parker, “The Scarpetta Factor” by Patricia Cornwall, “9 Dragons” by Michael Connelly and “Pursuit of Honor” by Vince Flynn.

Nonfiction on CD

“What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures” is a collection of New Yorker magazine articles by Malcolm Gladwell. “It’s Your Time” by Joel Osteen, a pastor, helps you activate your faith, achieve your dreams and increase in God’s favor. Both these books are read by their authors.

More nonfiction

“Justice: What’s the Right Thing To Do?” by Harvard professor Michael J. Sandel explores what our obligations are to other people in a free society. “A God Who Hates” by Wafa Sultan is the biography of a courageous Syrian woman who inflamed the Muslim world by speaking out against the evils of Islam.

Quotable quote

“Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.” — President Thomas Jefferson.